Answer:
The Estates-General had been summoned officially by King Louis XVI during the mid-months of 1789 (May 4-5), and hadn't been previously summoned since 1614.
It was made up of 1200 representatives that came from every province and city of France, to represent and speak up for their respective or assigned factions: Clergy, Nobility, Common-Folk.
(Quick Background paragraph) To understand the whole situation, we must have some background context first.
The Clergy are members of the first estate (highest in the french social hierarchy back in monarchist France). They make up approximately 130,000 people (priests, archbishops, cardinals, etc...) They received 1 vote at the Estates-General.
The Nobility are members of the second estate (middle in the french social hierarchy back in monarchist France). They made up approximately 350,000 people (barons, viscounts, counts...). They had also received 1 vote.
The Common Folk are members of the third estate (last in the french social hierarchy back in monarchist France). They made up everyone else in the country (doctors, beggars, lawyers, teachers, butchers, fishermen, soldiers)... and included a special "Bourgeoisie" category within it, that weren't usually considered members of the third estate. The bourgeoisie were rich individuals and families (who although sometimes had a wealthier net worth than nobles, could not be placed higher in the ladder because they lack a title and lineage). The common folk made up approximately 27 million people, and also got 1 vote.
The Voting Problem
The King had equally distributed the votes to factions of different needs and populations. A grave mistake. Obviously, the people wanted change, more freedom, to end hunger, more rights! Residents of France that were dependent on (for example), taxes and forced labor (such as clergymen and nobles), were against all of these reforms (since it would take a heavy toll on their incomes, the value of their rank, and centuries of tradition).
This caused the two first factions to bong together, forming a sort of "alliance", and constantly, they would outvote the common folks' decisions since all the votes are equal.
For example:
"We must give freedom to man, and bring equality amongst all citizens of France".
Clergy (130,000) = No. = 1 vote
Nobility (350,000) = No. = 1 vote
Common Folk (27,000,000) = Aye. = 1 vote
Total: 480,000 Nay / 27,000,000 Yes
However, the results show up as 2-1.
--
It does not pass. It was not a reliable voting system, since over 400,000 people would always keep power and outvote a group 70 times larger.
CLEAR ANSWER:
The bourgeoisie wanted a voting method that showed an end to this problem, a more logical and mathematically acceptible one. One that they never got, which forced them to form their own government elsewhere.
So what happened later?
The Estates-General would quickly dissolve, and the King would kick the common folk out of their newly named government building, which would force them to relocate to a nearby tennis court (June 20th, 1789) and sign the Tennis Court Oath. This would be the beginning of a nation that could not go back to its old ways (do remember that the revolution, at its beginning, only wished for a constitutional monarchy and more rights for citizens).